How to beat chariots?

[Lancome]

Like Rhyfelwyr said, ranged attacks, especially mass archery, is your best option. Once you work through their hit points they fall pretty quickly. If you lack archers, remember that Peltasts receive a +6 bonus in their attack vs. Chariots. This make Mercenary Peltasts rather good at killing them, as they have some armour to protect themselves. Phalanxes will also slaughter chariots with ease, as long as they can attack the chariot from the front.

If both these are lacking, always remember that a stopped chariot is a dead chariot. You can mob a Chariot with any infantry and once it is bogged down it will not last long. Even Peasants will work if you have enough of them. But you will take a lot of casualties yourself.

PHALANX!!!!!? They can stop them? Perhaps it might be a lack of armor but I threw My Spartans at one group once.... My LiL'red riding Hoods with Picks got slaughtered!.

[SubRosa]

PHALANX!!!!!? They can stop them? Perhaps it might be a lack of armor but I threw My Spartans at one group once.... My LiL'red riding Hoods with Picks got slaughtered!.

Absolutely. As long as your troops are in formation with their spears down and the chariots are coming at them head on, they will slaughter the chariots. They will never get past your spearpoints. If the chariots hit you from the back or side, or if you drop your spears and pull out swords, then it is a different story.

[Rhyfelwyr]

Chariots die so quickly against a phalanx it's comical. I remember sticking Militia Hoplites behind a gate once and watching the Egyptian General charge through 1 chariot at a time...

[The New Che Guevara]

My entire greek campaign was focused on an army of Phalanxes just marching towards the enemy. Phalanx are like a cheat code essentially. I rarely lost a land battle, but you have to direct them personally.

[Caius]

My entire greek campaign was focused on an army of Phalanxes just marching towards the enemy. Phalanx are like a cheat code essentially. I rarely lost a land battle, but you have to direct them personally.

I agree, specially using Armoured Hoplites.

[ReluctantSamurai]

Archers, archers, archers. If you are playing a faction that only has generic ones, recruit 'Creeshans'. If you are playing a faction that has horse archers, they will devastate them, especially Armenia's armored version. Militia cavalry can do a number on them if properly micromanaged, just don't let them close for melee. This is for the chariot archers. For the scythed version, tie them up frontally and charge in from the sides with two other units. They rout in a heartbeat.

For the Romans, specifically, archer auxillia work fine. The Brutii have Velite Glads which have a bonus against chariots and with moderate equipment upgrades, will tear them to pieces.

[Master Young Phoenix]

I found a good tactic for romans to use against chariots. here it is:

I'm playing a Brutii campaign and am at war with the Egyptians who use lots of chariots. at first I send out velites/light auxilia to deal with chariots. it did not work that great as the egyptians group their carts with cavalrymen-> gone are the velites, and chariots can kill them too up close.
then I tried to support the javelin infantry with cavalry of my own... bad idea too, as then the chariots will maul the cavalry and the velites still get chopped by the enemy's horse. final solution: spear infantry (mercenaries) in front, velites in the back, march forward to the chariots.... did work in a pinch

the problem of mercenary phalanxes/spearmen is that they are not available in abundance. a roman general needs to find troops of his own to deal with carts. these can be post-marian legions and auxilia. Or, if you play brutii or Scipii and get to grips with the gypos pre-marian: Triarii and Principes... principes mostly I suppose, cause triarii are usually only available shortly before the reforms.

line up your legionairy infantry as the first line in guard mode with fire-at-will on. behind them, light and archer auxilia with skirmish off (they need to stay close). triarii and Auxilia in guard mode do the trick fine, and can even win when the charge themselves. if the chariots charge, the troops on guard-mode will at least slow them or entirely stop the chariots, and the get all possible javelins thrown at them. it's still messy and if the enemy supports the chariots with axemen (egypt) or warbands (britons) it will be a hard fight, but the chariots will be gone.

rest assured, the horse-using troops of the enemy will either be at the flanks or try a retarded frontal assault, leaving a gap between them and their infantry.

if, however, the enemy keeps his chariots in reserve, do like-wise with your javelinmen. The combat infantry is mainly to stop the chariots from scything the javelineers. they can do this after beating his infantry.